Project Car Diaries: Here Are the Cars We’re Resolving To Work on in 2024

If you're a regular PCD reader, you know what to expect: longform, in-depth entries showing how we succeeded or failed at one particular project. Part wrenching guide, part therapy session. We're going to keep doing those longer pieces for sure, but we're also going to add shorter installments to give a more well-rounded look at what it takes to own, maintain, and modify a wide selection of enthusiast rides. Expect experiments, hack jobs, tuner part testing, personal stories, rants, raves, and an all-encompassing look at why—as our friends at Donut always say—cars are pain.

We've got a great list of machines from around the world and across decades in The Drive's stable right now. Old-school American iron is well represented between Hank's Charger and some old trucks. There's a good dose of JDM and tuner-car vibes too between my Civic, James' MR2, and our Mitsubishis. Maddox Kay has an old-new Mini he's already spent a lot of time fixing as well as one of the cheapest Porsche 911s in the land. I'm going to be messing more with my BMW E46 this year to round out the European flavor, too.

The Civic Type R, BMW 1er, and old Audi S4 we featured heavily in 2023 have departed but you may see a few more references to them as special guests. And speaking of guests, there will surely be a car or two in the mix that isn't in our rundown yet. But with all that said, here are the main characters of Project Car Diaries for 2024.

DIY dreams, free time, and mechanical bravery vary a bit among the folks on that list. So you'll see a range of projects from the simple (my secret plan to put eyelashes on Maddox's Porsche for lols) to more complex and involved (Hank changing the suspension and drivetrain geometry of his dad's derelict Mopar muscle car).

We'll use these diary entries to test tools and parts, as well as wrenching techniques. You can start looking forward to new installments at least once a week starting, well, with this post!

I've got a set of custom coilovers on the way for our Civic Si that I'm looking forward to comparing with my excellent Koni shock setup. That should be a great place to discuss whether or not coils are worth the investment. I'm also super close to finishing (if that's ever really possible) my Montero project.

Caleb has all kinds of wacky dump truck adventures to go on. Maddox is going to tell us more about the Euro life, and how he keeps three cars stashed in NYC without going insane or losing them to parking enforcement. James is sure to run into more trouble trying to keep his JDM Mitsubishi running, and we're hoping this is the year that our Editor-In-Chief Kyle tells us more about his family heirloom K5 Chevy Blazer.

Here's hoping we get a lot more done, a lot more seat time, and a whole lot more people indoctrinated in the cult of keeping old cars alive.